Joel Torre Movies

Abandoned by his parents and forced to fend for himself in order to survive, a simple street urchin turned cold-blooded killer eventually discovers that his only hope for salvation is to overcome a demon that he played a key role in creating. There once was a time when Angelo was your typical, carefree young boy, but when everyday is a life or death struggle. Now, despite the fact that he has been "rehabilitated," Angelo still finds it impossible to completely let go of the past. Realizing that his only chance in freeing himself from the past is to somehow exorcise the demons that dwell within, Angelo finally gets his chance when a figure from the past paradoxically crosses his path. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The unmarried owners and operators of a ramshackle funeral home specializing in coffin rentals must fight to keep their business afloat when the powers that be attempt to shut the shady business down in order to construct a new church. For Guido and Pining, death is a lucrative business. While their modest funeral parlor is a popular hangout for the dregs of society, owner Guido generally goes about his business embalming bodies while make-up specialist Pining ensures that the dearly departed have a pleasant appearance for their big sendoff. The back alley behind the mortuary is usually populated by prostitutes, ex-convicts, and other unsavory types, leading the municipal authorities to speclate that they might be able to neighborhood up if the current building were razed and a new church was erected in its place. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A complex film within a film that attempts to explore the myth of Philippine national hero Jose Rizal, director Mike De Leon's study in manufactured mythology attempts to explore the life of Rizal while simultaneously investigating his influence on modern Philippine society. It seems that the culture has embraced the idea of a nation icon rather than the physical reality of the man behind the myth, and director De Leon begins to study the historical accounts of Rizal's life while attempting to contact the family and friends that were closest to him. Confounded by the controversial letter of retraction that Rizal signed in his later days, the filmmakers attempt to uncover the motivation of the legend in renouncing all he stood for and opting for and embracing the society that he so vehemently denounced. Soon coming to the end of their search for facts and unable to solve the mystery of the letter, the filmmakers, at odds with their belief of recorded history, find that discovering the ultimate truth to the legend may be an unattainable goal. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A three-hour epic on the life and struggles of poet and patriot Jose Rizal, the national hero and martyr of the Philippines, this film was commissioned to mark the 1998 centennial of the country's independence from Spanish colonial rule. Rizal was a remarkably educated man; not only was he a writer, but he was also a painter, sculptor, doctor and surgeon, teacher, natural scientist, economist, engineer and theologian. He was an excellent fencer and marksman; he studied at colleges in Europe, America and Asia, traveled to many different nations and could speak twenty-two languages. He was a champion of his country's independence, a Filipino Gandhi who faced the firing squad at the age of thirty-five for inciting rebellion. He was the instigator of the Philippine revolution of 1896-98, the first national uprising against a colonial power in Asia. He also wrote two books, Noli me tangere and El Filibusterismo, which sought to increase his people's political awareness. Director Marilou Diaz-Abaya deliberately avoids a historical lesson. The Rizal of her story Cesar Montano is thinking back on his life and writings from his prison cell in the fortress of Santiago; the characters that appear are a blend of the real people, friends and enemies as well as those he created in his books. The script is solid, with a contribution by Diaz-Abaya's long time collaborator, Ricky Lee; the soft tones of the cinematography helps to create an atmosphere of magic appropriate to the story of a legendary hero, and the acting by Cesar Montano is quite remarkable. Jose Rizal was screened as part of the Panorama section of the 49th International Berlin Film Festival, 1999. ~ Gönül Dönmez-Colin, Rovi

Set during the terrifying reign of Filipino despot, Marcos, two upper caste but very different strangers team up to try and survive the physical and mental torture they undergo after they are suddenly jailed. Geny is the conservative businessman while Serge is more sensitive and outgoing. Both of the young men's parents give all of their money, but the government refuses to free them. Even a mutual hunger strike fails to move their jailers. In desperation, Geny and Serge begin plotting their escape. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this drama, a young woman, wanting to immigrate to America, bides her time in the sleazy bar where she works. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this flawed and overly long film, an aristocratic Spanish family caught in the throes of World War II in the Philippines has to make an escape into the jungle to survive the invading Japanese. Their members include the grandfather, several women, many servants, and two young men. One of the mothers in the group is snobby about herself and her money and passes this attitude on to her daughter. Another woman and one young man demonstrate exceptional bravery, and even the young man's new girlfriend shows spunk. But in the end, it will be lucky if the family can survive their own internal conflicts, let alone the four years they must hide out during World War II. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi